Crib sheet



July 21, 1970 EVANS 3,521,309

CRIB SHEET Filed Dec. 4, 196'? DWA) Y/VE P EVANS INVENTOR.

BY TM J MTM MA F IE- l I ATTORNEYS- United States Patent Office 3,521,309 Patented July 21, 1970 3,521,309 CRIB SHEET Dwayne P. Evans, 4496 Walnut Drive, Eureka, Calif. 95501 Filed Dec. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 687,835 Int. Cl. A47g 9/00 US. Cl. -336 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A crib sheet including a basemember adapted. for contour disposition with respect to a mattress, a rectangular pocket having three sides secured to the base member, and means along the fourth side thereof for attaching a blanket in overlying relationship to the pocket.

This invention relates to a novel restraining sheet, particularly adapted for use in cribs to maintain the desired sheet and blanket coverage over an infant despite bodily movement of its arms and legs.

. An infants nocturnal contortions are a continuing cause of anxiety to its parents. Thus, it is necessary to frequently check the child during the night to determine whether he or she is properly covered. With less attentive care, the infant may fall victim to colds or'other discomforts characterized by loud vocal displeasure. In any event, the parents nocturnal bliss is necessarily interrupted either because of the need to check the covering upon the child or as a result of the, child vocally expressing his lack of proper covering. To this end, the bed covering art is replete with specialized forms of crib sheets and blankets, each having the stated ,object of maintaining the bed covering over the child. For example, the Cherry,v

US. Pat. No. 3,121,885 discloses a restraining sheet having a recess including an opening through which only the childs head is extended. However, the disadvantages of this type of structure are readily apparent.

The crib sheet described and claimed in this invention distinguishes from the prior art in that freedom of movement of the infants arms as well asv its head is provided even though the blanket is retained constantly in the desired relationship to the sheet.

Thus, a principal object-of this invention is to provide a combined blanket member and recess-containing .crib sheet so that the blanket is inherently maintained in the desired position with respect to the recess.

It is a further object of this invention to retard an infants nocturnal movements without completely restricting them.

These objects, as well as features and advantages of this invention, will be more clearly understood and others will become apparent when reference is made to the attached drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the intended use of the invention depicted in FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views, there is shown a restraining sheet A ineluding base member 20 contoured so that the various wall and end portions extend at right angles to adjacent ones thereof to snugly embrace a mattress (not shown) enclosed thereby. Rectangular pocket member 21 is attached along three sides to the base member 20 thereof, such as by stitching 22. The fourth side of pocket member 21 is free from attachment to member 20 and preferably provided with elastic band 23 disposed along the edge thereof to assist in retaining the infant in the desired position with respect to pocket member 21. Elastic band 23 can be formed integral with pocket member 21 or secured thereto in any manner known to those skilled in this art. Adjacent to elastic band 23 and spaced along the open edge are attachment means 24 such as snaps or other conventional fastening devices including zipper means. Attachment means 24 are spaced for alignment with corresponding attachment means 26 disposed along one edge of blanket member B.

Restraining sheet A is preferably provided with straps 25 at spaced-apart intervals along the length thereof for attachment below a mattress (not shown). Straps 25 can be used to compensate for the tendency of elastic band 23 to bunch up or gather when an infant is placed in pocket member 21, and draw sheet A from its normal contoured position. It will be apparent to one skilled in this art that straps 25 can be tied together as desired or equipped with buckles or other means for securing the ends thereof together beneath the mattress. Additionally, it will also be apparent to those of skill in this art that pocket 21 can be formed in various sizes to accommodate any infant. Various shapes for pocket 21 can also be utilized.

In use and as most clearly disclosed by FIG. 2, sheet A is disposed over a mattress and the assembly placed in crib C. An infant is inserted within pocket 21 with his head and arms extending therefrom. A blanket (or blankets) having the desired weight or texture is then attached via members 24 and 26 to position the blanket contiguous with the open edge of pocket 21. In this manner, the blanket will be retained in the desired covering location irrespective of any subconscious nocturnal movements of the infant.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications can be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A contour-fitting restraining sheet for use with a mattress and in combination with a blanket on a childs bed, comprising: a first fabric member adapted to be coextensive with the upper surface of said mattress; side and end fabric members integral with said first fabric member and adapted to be disposed in overlying relation to the respective sides and ends of said mattress; a rectangular pocket member overlying a portion of said first fabric member and having a pair of side edges, an upper edge and a lower edge, said side edges and lower edge being afiixed along their entire length to said first fabric member, the entire length of said upper edge being entirely free of attachment to said first fabric member; and means secured along the upper edge of said-pocket member for attachment of a corresponding edge of a blanket thereto.

2. A restraining sheet in accordance with claim 1 where- 4 in the entire length of said upper edge is further pro- References Cited vided with an elastic means whereby a child disposed UNITED STATES PATENTS within said pocket Will be restrained from movlng out of Said pocket 2,355,138 8/1944 Bell 5336 3. A restraining sheet in accordance with claim 2 and 5 1,964,271 6/1934 0 f 5336 XR further characterized by means secured to said first fabric 1,169,607 1/1916 Blenls 5-336 XR member for ensuring that said member will be continually maintained in overlying relation to the respective BOBBY Pnmary Exammer sides of said mattress. A. M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner 

